Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Quarters: Leah Hart

Posted by Ensign Chandel (Science) in Quarters: Leah Hart

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Quarters: Leah Hart
Posted by… suppressed (35) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“That sounds fascinating! I guess that the designs are up to one’s imagination to think them up.” Finishing her practice strand she picked it up carefully from the stand and held it up for Leah to see. “What do you think? Is it too simplistic?”

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah studied it with a practiced eye and then gazed at Chandel a moment before looking at the necklace. “I think it depends on the person. Some people prefer simple and clean jewellery, but based on what I know so far and the beads you took, I would say can easily do something with more… oomph,” she said with a grin.

Pointing to the crimp encased beads. “What if you did two of each bead with a small drop between each set. It’s an extra construction step if you don’t choose something that slips on easily on its own, but it can look really nice. You can make the drops as long or short as you like too.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Oh yes. And I forgot the tree medallion for the middle, though I wanted to save that for my final necklace. What does the drop look like? Is it like a tear drop? Do you have any in the jade and turquoise blue?”

Ensign Chandel Sci

“Ummm, hmmm,” she said, tapping the side of her index finger to her lower lip. “Not those exact colours, but I might have something complimentary that might work.”

Leah moved back to her cabinet and pulled out a wooden box, bringing it over to the coffee table. It was made of a dark wood and was intricately carved with a floral and leaf design around the edges that most definitely looked like it had been done by hand. Measuring about 25 centimetres long by fifteen centimetres wide and about the same high, it landed on the table with a small clunk.

Opening the lid, inside the black velvet lined box were small containers of all sizes, some round, some square or rectangular. Most were clear and had an array of stunning beads of all kinds. “Somewhere in here are a set of leaf drops that might work, but I can’t remember the exact shade of green and whether it will go or clash with your other beads. The other option would be to construct them using head pins and create long narrow beaded drops. Or a next level skill would be to freestyle the shape of the drop, but I don’t want to complicate things too soon if you’re uncertain.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Ohh, I love the sound of the leaf drops, if you can find them!”

Ensign Chandel Sci

“Alright, let’s see if they are in here,” she said with a grin. Leah took a couple more sips of her wine, feeling those first threads of warmth building in her. Setting the glass to the side, she started pulling out clear container after clear container. She held each one up to glance at what was inside and then set it to the side on the table when it didn’t hold her quarry.

“I forget how many I actually have sometimes. It’s been awhile since I’ve pulled them all out. When I was transferred to the Sentinel I was just trying to make sure I had the things I needed. I more or less just tossed all my jewellery making supplies into a case. This is the first time I’ve got to really sit down and do any of this.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel smiled, “Well good thing you offered to tutor me in jewelry making then!”

Ensign Chandel Sci

In a lower tray of small round clear containers, Leah spied the colour she remember. “¡Ajá! ” Leah said, pulling the container out from the treasure trove of beads. She held it out to Chandel. Inside were ten glass leaves with a looped stem that would allow them to hang from the cord. They were a darker green but would compliment the other colours quite nicely. “Go ahead and take what you think you will need.”

“Those, by the way, came from Jablonec, in Czechia on Earth. I went there for a weekend and I came home with far too many beads. I just couldn’t resist!” she said with a laugh.

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel’s eyes lit with delight, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. “Ohhh! These are beautiful!” she breathed, her voice filled with awe. Accepting the small container reverently, she peered inside as though it held some ancient treasure. The delicate leaves shimmered faintly in the light, their surfaces catching subtle hues of green within. She hesitated for a moment—tempted to take them all—but finally chose just four or five, unwilling to appear greedy. Still, her mind raced with possibilities; they would look so exquisite woven between her beads, accenting the gleam of the tree medallion she had chosen as the centerpiece.

Setting the precious leaves aside, Chandel carefully untied the rough practice cord she had been using earlier. Then, from Leah’s bundle, she retrieved the fine cord meant for the final piece—smooth, supple, and perfectly measured. She laid it across her small work area, then began arranging her materials in meticulous order: beads first, then the tiny spacers, the polished crimps, the iridescent leaves, and finally the tree medallion itself. Each piece she positioned with deliberate precision, ensuring that when assembled, the design would flow like a natural vine.

Her brow furrowed slightly as she began threading the first beads, fingers moving with patient care. Every motion was steady, deliberate; the faint clink of glass and metal filled the quiet air. Several minutes passed in absorbed silence before she finally leaned back, exhaling softly. Reaching for her glass, she took a slow sip of wine, letting her gaze drift over her progress.

The necklace lay before her—only a third complete along one side—but already it hinted at something beautiful. The beads caught the light like dew on morning leaves, and the tree medallion gleamed faintly, promising the graceful balance that would come when the other side was finished. Chandel smiled, her eyes shining with quiet satisfaction as she imagined the finished piece resting against her skin, carrying with it the small miracle of shared creation.

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah watched her work with a smile on her face. She not only was glad to be able to teach a new friend something, but she was sharing something she loved doing. It was not unlike that dance night in the gym when she got to show people her love of dancing, even if she didn’t compete any more.

Gathering her own supplies, she started to loop some wire around an indigo bead. “It can be such a meditative process. I started doing this after I became a nurse. I would have a hard shift and would make jewellery to decompress.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“I can see why!” Chandel said as she continued to create her necklace. She was enjoying the creative process of putting the colored beads into a pattern as she worked down one side. “I could imagine doing this in my quarters at night, with candlelight, wine and soft music in the background. It would be a great decompressor!”

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah grinned and gestured to the wine bottle with one hand. “We’re almost there. I could light some candles for us, if you like.” With Chandel, an ease settled over her space and Leah tried to remember the last time she had felt its presence so clearly. Not since… wow, had it been that long? her grin shifted into a smaller smile as she focused more intently on wrapping the wire.

~Leah Hart, NP

“Ah, no. Don’t trouble yourself.” Chandel grinned as she finished one side and stopped to sip at her wine while she watched Chandel’s deft fingers at work as she wrapped the wire. “So why do you wrap the wire?” She asked curiously.

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah held up the bead which wasn’t covered in wire so much as the wire was knotted and looped such that it became a decorative cage for the bead. “It’s pretty?” she said with a laugh. “Actually, it allows you to create organic structures. You could hypothetically just tie together wire wrapped beads and create a whole item that way, but I mix wire wrapping with standard findings. It allows it have more movement, be less stiff in the end. It takes a lot longer. to wire wrap but I think it’s worth it in the end.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“That is fascinating. I am really enjoying doing this with you. We should make it a weekly event, I think it’s more fun doing it with you than doing it alone. Regular girls’ night, what do you think?” Setting down her wine, Chandel picked up the center piece for her necklace and placed it in the center with spacers so they would hold it there.

Ensign Chandel Sci

Light touched her eyes as she beamed at Chandel. “I love that idea. Weekly, barring shifts and all that.” But they were both used to being flexible as the demands of the ship ebbed and flowed. Leah was used to never knowing for sure if she could commit to a day and time, given she was always on call, but she was used to navigating the restraints.

“Your necklace is looking good. How do you feel about it?” Jewellery making could be a very personal thing and sometimes frustring if you were aiming for something in particular and couldn’t manage to achieve that outcome. Thus Leah wanting to start Chandel off with something simple, allowing her to master basic techniques. As it was, manipulating the tiny findings was delicate work.

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel paused and studied her handiwork critically for a moment. Lips pursed she envisioned the second half and nodded in satisfaction before flashing a happy grin to Leah. “I love it! I think it will definitely suit me and I look forward to wearing it.”

Ensign Chandel Sci

“I’m so glad,” Leah said, beaming. It was more than just nice to share a hobby with a new friend. For Leah it was about feeling connected to a place and people. She was starting to really feel a part of things on the Sentinel. She wasn’t sure exactly when that happened, but it was a nice feeling.

She grabbed her wine glass and drained what remained. Reaching for the bottle, she glanced at Chandel. “How are you doing for wine? Want any more?”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Ah, another half glass. Anymore than that and I’d feel it in the morning. I mean I know I can go to sickbay to get a shot of Soberal but sometimes the cure is as bad as the cause. I don’t feel right after that.” Chandel grinned as she accepted the refill and began to work on the second half of her necklace.

Ensign Chandel Sci
Bump back onto the board:)

She chuckled. “Fair enough,” Leah said as she added more wine to Chandel’s glass, stopping at the requested half-glass line.

Leah refilled her glass, not as affected by the alcohol as her friend. Or rather her body metabolized it rather fast.

Taking a sip from her glass, Leah went back to her wire, wrapping the last bit around the glass bead and creating a loop at the end so it would hang. She snipped it with her wires and then set it down on the table in between them. “One down, only twenty or thirty more to go,” she said with a laugh.

~Leah Hart, NP

“23!” Chandel laughed. “Mine is indeed much simply than that. I can definitely see why you enjoy this though. I think I will look at every piece of jewelry I see and think to myself, ‘if I was to make that how would I do it?” She grinned over at Leah. “You may have created a monster.”

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah laughed openly, and damn did it feel good. “Well, guilty as charged, I guess. But there are worse things to be accused of. Besides, in this day and age of replicators where most things can be gotten by simply asking, it’s nice to make something and deeply understand the effort that went into making it. It allows us to be connected with those that came before that had to make everything by hand. There’s something wonderful about touch that legacy, even just a little.”;

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel thought about that for a moment and nodded thoughtfully.
“Very true… my maman used to say the same thing. ‘Chandel, ya don’ nevah know de wor’t o’ som’tin’ ’til ya make it ya’self, chère.’” She grinned as she envisioned her maman speaking.

Ensign Chandel Sci

“I don’t think I’ll offer any of the so-called lessons my mother tried to teach me,” she said, the words spilling out before she fully caught them. The one issue with alcohol for her: she always got a little looser lipped. For better or worse.

She thought about apologizing for true remark but it was true so Leah just shrugged and grabbed another bead to wrap.

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel was intuitive enough to pick up Leah’s reticence so she did not enquire further on her comment. Several quiet minutes went by while the two woman worked in companionable silence. Chandel finally finished the second side of her necklace and picked it up by the two ends to study it critically. “What do you, Leah?”

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah looked up from her wrapping and smiled at the fully strung necklace. “That’s nice! I think it’ll look good on you. You can have fun with it for sure!”

“Do you feel confident with attaching the clasp or shall I walk you through that?”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Just talk me through it. I want to make sure I fasten it correctly so it doesn’t come loose.” Chandel answered with a satisfied smile. She was proud of herself for doing this and hoped she had an occasion to wear it soon.

Ensign Chandel Sci

“Okay,” Leah said as she reached for the pieces Chandel would need. Two were small metal boxes that were open on one end with one side split in the middle. Attached to the closed end was metal ring. The two part clasp was a simple ring clasp that you pulled open to secure or unsecured from a flat piece that had a hole pin one end and a ring that could be pried open or closed.

“So, on each end of the cord you slip this box piece so the slit side is facing down. Then you squeeze it with pliers so hold the cord tight. The clasp pieces have rings that are cut so you just gentle open them and slip them through the rings of the cord clamps. And there you are, a completed necklace!” She grinned and drank from her wine glass.

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel listened carefully and followed Leah’s instructions and attached the clasp pieces, one to each end. Closing them gently with the pliers. After making sure they were closed enough she then put the necklace on and settled it so it hung properly.

“There we are.” She said with a small proud smile as she picked her wine and finished it. “Well, it is getting late and we both need our sleep. Thank you again, I’ve greatly enjoyed the evening. Til next week ?” She asked as she rose.

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah grinned as she pushed herself to her feet. “Absolutely! And the necklace looks great. I’m glad you enjoyed the process.” Her smile turned into something more fond. “Have a good night, Chandel.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“You too, Leah.” Chandel smiled warmly before making her way out.

Ensign Chandel Sci